Five things I never wanted to do..part 1

Why only five, yes the list can be extended to thousands of such incidents and this post will cease to end. I've to put some stop somewhere, that's why i'll mention those five which are still as vivid in my memory as if these incidents have happened just yesterday.

Starting with the first and oldest of these -

I was in fourth standard, and doing nothing much just little work and some play. I had a good old company of my friends. My school was also not so far from my village and i always took special interest in listening to the complaints of my fellow friends at village who used to go to schools in the city. I hated to be a narrator of sad stories, though i always had some but i never told anyone about those.

Someone has rightly said

"Times will never remain the same, and nor thou will remain same ever."

Now it was my time to move into such a school about which those guys used to complaint.  Always pretending to and trying to be a happy lad, i never wanted to go to that school which would take one hour to reach. I was not afraid to travel two hours daily in commuting, but i never wanted to give my friends a reason to laugh at me the same way i had done to them till that time. My parents had already chosen a good school for me, far away from village. Some schools always had a reputation to stand out apart in reputation with a bunch of strict teachers and a flock of intelligent students. And I was very afraid of both of them.

But i was none to decide as decision was already taken that I would be giving the entrance exam next week. I was told that it would not be that easy to get through the entrance test, as thousands of students from Amritsar and nearby villages would be trying their luck to get into that reputed school. I prepared well for two months for that test, yet i was scared in my mind of losing this flock of dear friends in this lovely school, which was neither much reputed nor so far from my home.

One more reason (which i think was more considerate) was that i never wanted to lose my position of class topper which i had earned in this previous school for last five consecutive years (since KG till 4th). In my village, it was a matter of pride and people do looked upon me with high opinion and also had high expectations from me. Before the test i was pretty confident to clear this obstacle with some luck and hard-work, but somehow i wanted to remain in the same surroundings.

The day came and i was nervous just like any other day when i had exams. I never wanted to hurt my own ego [and of many others too] that i couldn't make it to that reputed school. I wish there could be someway that i would pass this test yet couldn't make it to that school. Alas, but things were pretty straight forward at those times. I was confused about how to attempt the test. I entered the hall which was already packed with so many other students and got my seat. I was handed over the question paper by a lady teacher [she looked so similar to those unkind and strict teachers who would first insult and humiliate the student in front of whole class and then reporting it to the parents too]. One hour went and i was lost writing answers to the questions. I was happily running my pencil over the answer sheet almost done with first half of questions and hadn't missed any question. I was pretty sure by that time of making it into that school and then i stood up from my seat. I handed over the answer sheet to the teacher. I attempted first five questions out of ten, out of which two were of mathematics and two punjabi and one of science.  The teacher gave me a hard look through her spectacles and then turned her face towards the class. I came out from the class little confused whether i had done something wrong or not.

It was time for a result which was [at least] known to me already. I knew next few days would be hard trying to answer everyone what really went wrong and then again back to the same school as a class topper. It did hurt my ego a little bit whenever i had to face someone who was studying in that school. But again same sad stories of those big schools and my heart went merry-go-round. I was still sure if i had attempted the whole paper, i would have got admitted there. But that's how i wanted the things to be and it went my way. Even now when i think about it, it perplexes me which way should have been the ideal one. I never know and will never get to know what difference it would have made in my life.

One more year passed happily, again topped the exams [and time for same rounds of celebrations again]. Yet i don't regret my decision, as next year i got into a big reputed school of same category.

Initial first month was horrible as i used to count numbers of hours left before i could go home and met those friends again. Later on, those guys who supported me during those tough times became good friends. I don't know what i lost in that one year, but i do admit i earned that one more year of happiness by attempting half-heartedly in that test !!!